Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Indigenous peoples of Canada have various dynamic and diverse cultures that reflect a tightly-woven connection between the environment and identity, lifestyles and values.  Traditional Ecological Knowledge, TEK, results from thousands of years of intimate knowledge of the environment shared by generations of Indigenous peoples around the world.  Students will explore TEK through traditional stories from regions across the country, recognizing that TEK is specific to local ecosystems, and be exposed to a holistic framework to respectfully understand Indigenous knowledge systems. Various Canadian Indigenous cultures and pre and post contact histories will create connections between the environment and human values to better understand historical and current issues. This course meets the General Education Theme #3, Social and Cultural Understanding.